Explosive charge and powder therefor.



No. 660,567. Patented Oct. 30, I900. E. GATHMANN.

EXPLOSIVE CHARGE AND POWDER THEREFOR.

(Application filed Nov. 8, 1899.)

(No Model.)

a UU/ Y 0 U A/U DJ U/J llll a a nventor- TATES UNr-rnn V Fries,

EMIL GATHMANN, OF WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, ASSIGNOR TO GEORGE'W.' MOMULLEN, OF PIOTON, CANADA.

EXPLOSIVE CHARGE AND POWDER THEREFOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 660,567, dated October30, 1900. Application filed November 8, 1899,. Serial No. 736,220. (Nospecimens.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EMIL GATHMANN, of IVashington, in the DistrictofColumbia, have invented certain new and useful Im-' provements inExplosive Charges and Pow der Therefor, of which the followingisaspecification.

My invention relates to explosive charges and powder therefor, and ismore particularly applicable to those powders in which the principalingredient is nitrocellulose or a mix- In re of nitrocelluloses, and hasfor its object to provide for a' uniform distribution of the charge inthe powder-chamber of the gun, having such a construction of the unitsor grains forming the charge that they will resist the tendency to flyinto small fragments during the combustion of the charge, therebycausing a sudden rise in the pressure, and for the rapid and uniformignitionof the entire charge by such a construction as will allow theflames of the priming or ignition to have unobstructed passage to everyportion of each unit or grain of which the charge is composed.

To these ends my invention consists in certain novel features whichIwill now proceed to describe and will then particularly point out inthe claim.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective View of a fagotor charge embodying myinvention in one form. Fig. 2is an enlarged detailview, partly in elevation and partlyin central longitudinal section, ofa portion of one of the rods or units of which the charge shown in Fig.1 is composed. Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view taken on the line 33 of Fig. 2.

I have determined from numerous experiments that an efficient powdercharge which will develop a high velocity, accompanied by relatively lowbore-pressure, should possess the following requisites-z first, uniformdistribution of the charge in the powder-chamber of the gun; second,such a construction of the units which form the charge as will preventany tendency to fly into small fragments during the combustion of thecharge, thereby occasioning a sudden rise in pres sure, and, third, sucha construction of the charge as will insure a rapid ignition thereof inits entirety by allowing the flames of the priming or ignition charge tohave a free and unobstructed passage to ever 1 portion of the elementsof which the charge is composed.

To obtain these ends, I employ powder in the form of rods having notonly longitudinal perforations, but also radial perforations,

. these rods being constructed of a suitable colloid explosive material.having, preferably, a maximum toughness. bodiment of my inventionillustrated in the drawings these rods, which are indicated at 1, arepreferably of a length substantially equal to that of thepowder-chamberin which they are to be used'and are provided with aplurality of longitudinal perforations 2, eX- tending through saidrodsfrom end to'end. In rods thus constructed, but without any provisionother than the longitudinal apertures just referred to for permittingthe ignition-flames to communicate with the more distant portions of therods, the gases are generated within the longitudinal apertures in suchgreat volume that these passages cannot accommodate their flow, and therods are therefore burst open and broken into fragments, thereby causinga sudden and dangerous rise in the pressure in the bore of the gun, andthe consequent liability of bursting the gun. In order to obviate thisdifficulty, I provideradial as well as longitudinal perforations orapertures, and in the particular construction shown in the drawingsthese radial apertures or perforations are in the form of cuts orgrooves 3, preferably V- shaped in out-line and extending from thecenter of the rod radially outward, each with its apex at about thecenter and with its Widest portion atthe periphery. It will'be observedthat these radial apertures or perforations intercept the longitudinalperforations 2, and as they are preferably arranged in alternatingseries on opposite sides of the rods, as shown in the drawings, all ofthe longitudinal perforations will be intercepted at intervals. Theseintercepting cuts or grooves will be of such dimensions and number,according to the varying conditions of loading required and the varyingsizes of the powder-chambers, as to give ample vent to the gasesgenerated in the longitudinal perforations of therods, thereby allowingfree flow of these gases and In the particular em- IOO charge isextremely expensive.

insuring even and rapid combustion of each rod, and consequently of theentire charge, and giving a reliable and even pressure in thepowder-chamber and bore of the gun.

In making up a charge of this powder a plurality of rods of the propercharacter are placed with their axes parallel with each other in such away as to form a fagot or bundle, as illustrated in Fig. 1 of thedrawings, and the fagot or bundle is held in permanent form, so as tofacilitate handling, by means of flexible ties 4, of cord or the like,surrounding the same at suitable intervals. Powder charges of this classare usually composed of a great number of comparatively short pieces orblocks which are placed promiscuously within a suitable inclosing bag orenvelop, so that uniformity of distribution or arrangement of the chargeis lacking, while at the same time the bag or envelop being constructedof silk or other similar material in order that it may be readilydestroyed by the combustion of the Not only is this expense done awaywith by the construction above described, but regularity and uniformityof the distribution and arrangement of the charge within thepowder-chamber of the gun are insured.

The density of colloid powders is comparatively great, being on anaverage about 1.64, and since the force of these powders is nearlytreble that of the ordinary charcoal and niter variety the density ofloading in the powderchamber of the gun is generally belowthirtyfiveone-hundredths of the capacity of this chamber in water. Thus the powdelchamber of modern ordnance is not ,nearly filled, even when the heaviestallowable charge is used, when the charge is made up of the ordinarycylindrical grains now in common use and herein referred to.

By varying the size of the transverse or radial apertures of the rodsaccording to the weight of charge required and the capacity of thepowder-chamber, I am enabled to build up a fagot or-bundle charge whichwill evenly and uniformly distribute a charge of the proper size andweight through the entire powder-ch amber. In this way the threerequisites hereinbefore referred to are fulfilled, since the propercharge is uniformly distributed throughout the powder-chamber, thetendencyoftherodsto tlyinto smallfragments is prevented, and the flamesof the priming charge have a free and ready access to every portion ofthe powder charge, and an even combustion of this latter is assured.

Without limiting myself to the precise details of construction andarrangement hereinbefore described, I claim Alongitudinallymultiperforated powder rod having alternate cuts orgrooves on its opposite sides, each pail-of said cuts or grooves iutercepting the several longitudinal perforations.

EMIL GA'lHMANN.

